Secrets of the Valley
by DottoraL'Artista
Summary: A monster AU where Artemis is a vampire and Wally is a werewolf. Inspired by the team's costumes in secrets. T for now, eventual M. Ten chapters.
1. Castle Al Ghul

Zatanna rode through the woods on her pegasus, her brow knitted and her mouth pouring out incantations. One protection spell after another flowed from her lips, the words turning themselves around on her tongue, making her believe that perhaps backwards was her native language. She passed by some elves on her way up the final mountain, egging her pegasus on as the fair folk ran back to their trees to conduct their own protective measures. She would protect her vally from the hunters if it was her dying deed.

Artemis caught wind of the Seven Families coming together when the Great One called the clan together for a strategy meeting.

"War is upon us, my friends. We must make ready. Zatanna wishes us to join her," he paused, a look of contempt souring his face, "league to confront the hunters. I say differently. Ra's Al Ghul and his clan submits to no man, or woman."

The male vampires cheered half-heartedly, worried of what their mates would do to them. Artemis smirked, watching her uncle side eye her aunt warily. Dinah was too busy glaring at Ra's to notice Oliver's insubordination.

"So know this, fellow creatures of the night!" he said. Half of the company groaned audibly, eliciting another glare from Ra's daughter and lieutenant, Talia. Her father continued without a break, "We will prepare for war, but the witch will get none of our help!"

The company cheered again, more enthused this time, apart from Artemis and a few others. She knew how to fend for herself, but a small clan of vampires against several hundred humans armed to the teeth with who-knew-what. Joining the other tribes in fighting the threat seemed much more logical than sticking it out until there were none of them left.

Ra's continued to outline a detailed attack plan, if, of course, the hunters could even breach the outer defenses. She rolled her eyes at the protective measures Ra's was outlining, quickly finding flaws in most of them.

He finished speaking and dismissed the company. The small gathering of vampires dispersed to different parts of the castle, Artemis drifting away to her post by the door, taking up a spear and glaring at the man who sat in the same position across from her. Cameron, a painted whore of a vampire, had been her progenitor and she had never forgiven him for it. Before she came to be a part of Clan Al Ghul, Artemis had been a successful monster hunter, notch after notch in her belt for things that she had killed. After being turned, she realized what she had done and that not all of her kin were vicious beasts. However, those that were evil were as bad as they come, as demonstrated adequately by Ra's, Talia, and Cameron.

"Arty," he sneered, his painted lips pulling back over his sharp teeth. She glared at him, baring her own fangs in retaliation, spitting his name out like it was priest's blood, "Cam."

"This plan will never work," she said, trying something, anything, to make small talk.

"The great one is infallible, succubus!" he snarled back, the makeup around his lips cracking and flaking with his ire. She scoffed, turning her back and crossing her arms.

"You were the one that turned me, genius!" she snapped. He grinned, his fangs shining in the torchlight.

"Yeah, and I wish I'd drunk you dry, bitch," he said, liking his lips, some of the blue paint disappearing into his mouth, making him cough and splutter. "Given the chance and time, do you know what I would have done to you, Sweetie?"

"First of all, a bitch is a dog, and I am very far from that, if you couldn't tell," she began. "Second-"

Suddenly, an orange and brown blur shot by them, completely bypassing all defenses that the clan had established to keep out intruders.

"What the hell was that!" Artemis exclaimed, turning to face the direction the blur had gone. Something that barked and growled was still zipping around the main hall of the vampires hideout, making a mess of the entire room. Cameron's nose twitched, more of his paint flaking off with every movement.

He perked up as he caught the scent and screamed into a tube mounted to the wall near him, "WOLF!"

The hideout sprung to life, vampires pouring into the main hall, closing every path for the wolf to escape. He slowed, being met at every turn with another pair of barred fangs, eventually coming to a complete stop in the middle of the hall.

"Take me to your leader!" he yelled, a mischievous grin on his half-changed face, an old letterman jacket draped around his shoulders like a cape. He turned when a door banged open behind him, perfectly framing Talia, her stiff collar causing an unnatural silhouette in the backlight of the door.

"What do you want, dog?!" she drawled, her accent thick with pretension. The arrogant beast grinned at her cheekily, giving her a stage bow.

"My lady. I am here upon the request of Zatanna Zatara the Magnificent and Backwards-Speaking to request your clan's participation in the League for the Justice of Otherworlders, or, as my little brother calls it, the Justice League," he said, still grinning. "Also, my name's not 'dog.' It's Wally!"

The wolf's stump of a tail wagged through the hole that was haphazardly cut into the seat of his pants, the silly expression seemingly ironed into his face. Artemis squinted at the smell of him, taking a step back and almost landing on top of Cameron.

"Watch it!" he shouted, attracting the attention of the entire room. "You're lucky the Great One likes you, succubus, or else I would..."

He stopped shouting and sobered as Talia walked over to him. She wrenched open the door leading outside of the hideout, the other vampires jumping out of the path of sunlight that streamed in through the opening. She turned Cameron to face her and flung the door wide, bathing his body in light. He flinched away, cowering in his own shadow, eyes gazing pleadingly up at his assailant. She didn't spare him a second glance as her boot hit his sternum, forcing him into the open. She shut the door quickly, hissing as a few stray rays of sunlight fell on her cheeks.

The company, including Wally, winced as they heard the vampire's screams as the sun did its work on him, dissolving him to dust to be swept away in the wind. Talia looked around, challenging any other member of the clan to speak out of turn. Every being in the hall averted their eyes from her, looking either at the floor, the ceiling, or at Wally, who had sat down and was happily scratching his ear with his foot. Her gaze came to rest upon him and she began to stalk towards him.

"Now to deal with you, pup," she said, her nails glinting as if they were claws extending from her fingertips. Wally stopped scratching his ear, his eyes growing wider as the vampire approached him. "We want nothing to do with your League, nor your family."

Her voice rang throughout the hall, closely echoed by her father's.

"Take the halfling to the dungeon! He will be of some use to us yet," said Ra's disembodied voice. Several of his minions advanced towards Wally, who saw his opening and took it. He leapt through the gap in the vampires, running up to Artemis and Talia.

"Hey, babe! So that guy was a real jerk, huh?" he said, leaning up against the wall. "Oh, hey look! It's people who want me dead! Kiss for luck?"

Artemis' eyes opened wider at the realization of what he was about to do and attempted to fend off the encroaching werewolf. She was unsuccessful. Wally grabbed the sides of her face and pressed his lips to hers, his head tilting to accommodate for noses, his lips moving against hers gently. She brought her arms up to his neck, her soft touch quickly becoming a vice. She pulled him away from her and spun him around, her arms holding him in place.

"Never touch me again or I'll make sure you die by my hand, dog," she growled in his ear before handing him over to Ra's goons. He turned his head and grinned at her as he was dragged away.

"See you around, beautiful!" he called out before vanishing down a flight of stairs. Artemis wiped her mouth on her hand, spitting on the ground to rid herself of the taste of wolf. She shivered as she recalled his touch, his hands light but firm, and not at all unpleasant.

"Artemis!" Talia yelled, bringing her out of her reverie. "Go wash yourself. You smell of wolf."

Artemis nodded and slipped through a door to the washroom, still thinking of the young wolf prisoner who was starting to fester in the dungeon.


	2. The City

Artemis walked into the cave extending off the back of the castle that contained the clan's washrooms. She quickly stripped off her coat and corset, undoing the front fastenings with a flick of her wrist. The garments fell to the floor, quickly joined by her skirt and boots. She kicked them to the side to burn later, and stepped into the flow of the underground waterfall. Her hair streamed down her back and her mind raced with possibilities.

Everyone in the Valley had heard of Wally West, as he was next in line for pack leader once Barry kicked it. Being second in command gave you some perks in your own clan, but not in everybody else's. However, Wally hadn't learned that yet. All the elven girls ever talked about was how annoying he was and how he wouldn't leave them alone.

As she scrubbed the wolf stench off of her body, she felt the pangs of hunger strike her stomach. She sighed in the realization that there was a hunting trip scheduled for when the sun set.

The sun had set and the vampires set out for the cities, a select few mounting ATVs acquired from the humans that they had turned or had drunk dry. Artemis leaned over the handlebars, attired for hunting, hair loose down her back, and not smelling of wolf. Ra's pulled ahead of the group, speaking into a megaphone to carry his voice across the roar of multiple engines.

"Fellows!" he cried, his voice reverberating through the amplifier. "We ride tonight to put the humans in their place, and recruit new members to our clan!"

Cheers echoed around the company, many of whom hadn't drank in weeks, Artemis included. She flexed her jaw, anticipation pooling in her stomach. She revved her ATV experimentally, her black boots digging into the foot holds. Ra's executed a beautiful three-point turn and sped off down the dirt road towards the city, Talia following close behind.

Artemis stepped on the gas, speeding down the dirt road after her leaders, the rest of the clan following after. The dirt road carried them through the shadow of Zatanna's tower, the two leaders of the company pulling astride of each other to undoubtedly speak about the witch. Artemis had never met Zatanna personally, however she had heard many things about the great witch, most of which cast the woman in a bad light. The blonde, however, preferred to reserve judgement for a person's character until she met them, and the very few good things that she had heard about Zatanna were things that she admired in many others.

The ride to the edge of the woods was short, but enjoyable. The group slowed their mounts, coming to the forest. Ra's hopped off of his ATV, and walked up to the edge of the woods, his megaphone ready at his side. He brought it to his lips and cleared his throat before speaking.

"Kal-el the Mighty, we, the humble clan of Al Ghul, request passage through your forest to the city," he said. The trees rustled slightly, several beings coming into view. The Golems towered over the vampires, their head brushing the treetops, their feet sinking into the ground like mycelium. The foremost Golem bowed, ever so slightly, to Ra's, picking up it's foot and gesturing towards the forest pass. The Great One nodded and dropped to one knee as Artemis noted that even the greatest of the great knew when they were outmatched.

The Golems slowly turned and merged back into the forest, a deep rumbling following after them. Several mushrooms had begun to sprout where Kal-el had stood, the grass around them withering away.

Ra's turned and motioned for the company to dismount and follow him. Artemis swung her leg over the vehicle, ecstatic that she didn't have to share with Cam for once. She wasn't thrilled that he was dead, as the taking of any life appalled her, but she was very glad he was gone. A small group of people flocked around her, ready to go find the nearest hospital.

Artemis and several other vampires broke away from the main group, going to seek out a hospital or blood bank to steal from, rather than kill more innocents than necessary. If they ran across some Joe Chill or rapist, they would act accordingly; however, killing was not prefered.

The ragtag group ran down the street towards their favorite Red Cross, Olliver quickly and routinely kicking in the door and silencing the alarm, allowing Artemis, Dinah, Roy, and Harper access to the blood bank. They quickly raided the shelves, Olliver passing out bags, making sure to give everyone their favorite.

"O positive for Harper, O negative for Roy, B positive for Dinah, A negative for me, and... aha, AB negative for Artemis," he rattled off. Artemis jumped at the sound of her favorite blood type. This was a treat. Her blood type being the rarest made hunting and scavenging difficult, and almost unbearable at some points. She sank her fangs into the bag, not bothering to bite the nozzle off like the others in her group. The blood seeped out of the bag, pouring into her mouth, some spilling over the sides of her lips.

The red liquid ran down her neck, soaking the collar of her white t-shirt under her leather jacket. She finished the bag quickly, wiping her mouth with her hand, smearing red across her cheek.

"Anymore of that, Ollie?" she asked, swallowing thickly. He nodded.

"You're in luck, Arty, two more bags on this shelf," he said, tossing them both to her. She caught them deftly, biting the cap off of the first bag. She spat the plastic out, about to tip the bag back into her mouth and drain it, but Dinah stopped her.

"Artemis, you won't be full on just three bags. There's some B negative on the shelf here too, drink at least two of those before you finish the AB positive," Dinah said. She had become like the girl's mother, teaching her about the different customs and the rules of Castle Al Ghul when Artemis had arrived. Dinah, her husband Oliver, and their twin sons, Roy and Harper, had practically adopted Artemis into their family, providing clothes and protecting her from Cameron for her first months.

The group finished off their haul, Artemis moaning as the last of the AB negative trickled down her throat. The two boys snickered, turning away from cleaning up the evidence of the vampires' feast.

"Having fun there, Arty?" Roy said, his brother barely containing his laughter behind him.

Artemis glared at them, snapping back, "Fuck off. At least I can keep it down when I drink a hot guy with my prefered type. Damian told me that he went hunting with you once and not only did you get excited when you started drinking a girl, but you started dry humping her corpse!"

Roy blushed bright red, scuttling off to go find Oliver and Dinah, while his brother broke down on the floor laughing.

Dinah came back into the room and picked Harper up off the floor. She gave him a stern look and turned to Artemis.

"Arty, go find the Great One and tell him we're through, would you?" she asked. Artemis nodded, walking out the door to go hunt down their leader.

It didn't take Artemis long to find Ra's as the city wasn't very large. She came upon him and Talia in a narrow alleyway outside of a tacky club called "Harlequin Hookers," complete with a glowing pink neon sign. There were several other men with him, men that she had never seen before. She was wary in approaching the group, walking slowly down the alley.

Suddenly, one of the men said something that made her jump behind the nearest dumpster and her blood run cold in her veins. Ra's had called one of the men he was speaking with "hunter." She listened to snatches of their conversation, picking up only a few words like "wolf" and "safety" before the group started walking down the alley towards her. Soon, they were close enough that she could hear them clearly.

"The Alpha's nephew, you say?" one man asked. Talia scoffed, but was shushed by her father.

"Yes, Jonathan," Ra's said, "And I'm sure that you can obtain any information you would like about the rest of the wolves from him, Savage."

"Or we could just skin him and sell his pelt!" the third man exclaimed, cackeling at his own cockamame idea. Artemis could practically hear Ra's and Talia rolling their eyes.

"And all you want in return for the boy is safety for your clan?" the man called Savage asked.

"Yes," Ra's agreed. The men and Talia walked back towards the club, the three hunters murmuring amongst themselves. Artemis was about to get up and leave before one of the men started shouting.

"You have got yourself a deal, old man! It's time for Jack the Joker to have a little fun!" the man who was apparently called Jack shouted. Having heard enough, Artemis picked herself up and bolted for the end of the alley, not caring if she was seen by any of the group at the other end.

She didn't stop running until she reached the pass between the forest and the mountains, her breathing heavy. She sat down on the side of the path to wait for the first of her clan to come along, hope to whatever deity might be listening that it was not Ra's or Talia that came back first.

Soon, the rest of the vampires started showing up, first Damian with Ollie and Dinah's twins, then the couple themselves. Next came Mia and Connor, Dinah's younger sister and her husband. Ra's and Talia showed up last with their squadron of guards in tow.

Artemis' ears perked, hearing something rustling in the woods. Several of her fellows heard it as well, most of them turning to look at the trees leading to the Stone Forest. A young boy emerged out of the trees, wearing nothing but a pair of ratty old jeans. The company stared at the little boy questioningly and he stared back, an innocent look in his big eyes.

Suddenly, a long, victorious howl came from where they had left the squadron of ATVs. Their attention ripped from the smiling little boy, the vampires sprinted back towards their mounts, Ra's and Talia having pushed their way to the front. They were met with an unpleasant sight.

The rest of the pack of werewolves, Barry included, were doing donuts and wheelies on the ATVs. The little boy burst through the line of awestruck vampires, his orange hair darkening, fur sprouting on his legs and arms, and a little bit of a tail poking out through his jeans. He ran to Barry and jumped on the back of the ATV that the Alpha was perched on, latching on to the blond in front of him.

As soon as the boy was aboard the vehicle, Barry sped off, being sure to spray the vampires with road dirt as he past. The rest of the wolves followed his example, those that weren't already half formed transforming on their mounts as they blew past the stunned clan.

The werewolves disappeared into the night, their howls still reverberating through the trees of the Stone Forest. Some of the vampires had begun whispering amongst themselves; Damien, Roy, and Harper included. Ra's slowly turned around, raising his megaphone, which Barry had thrown at his feet after howling into it, and started shouting.

"Do you all realize what an injustice these inbred dogs have done?!" he hollered into the amplifier. "I will not stand for this and neither will you! _Let it be known that I, Ra's Al Ghul, declare _war_ on all werewolves _tonight!"


	3. Getting to Know You

Artemis was interrupted in her weekly routine of cleaning all of her weapons by Talia kicking in the door to her room. The Great One's daughter stomped into the room and dropped a raw steak on a tray in front of her and stomped out. Artemis raised an eyebrow at the steak before getting up and following Talia outside.

"What, exactly, am I supposed to do with that poor cow you dropped on my floor?" Artemis called down the hall after the other woman. Talia spun around and threw her hands in the air.

"I am the Great One's daughter, I will not associate with the likes of him," she shouted, spinning on her heel and marching down the stairs, away from Artemis. She sighed, going back to her room and picking up the steak gingerly, averting her nose at the smell. She carried the steak downstairs to the main level of the castle, dodging Damian and knocking Harper into a wall on her way down the stairs.

She reached the main level and the clan members recoiled as she walked by with the slab of meat. They quickly made a path for her to the door to the dungeon. She wrenched open the door and stepped into the dark corridor, the smell of meat amplified tenfold. The one that they'd captured had been living down here for a week and the smell of wolf was already permeating the walls.

Artemis continued walking down the hallway, observing all of Castle Al Ghul's empty dungeons and wondering what they were for. The castle never had any prisoners, as Ra's was not a prisoner type of person. He usually just killed interlopers on first sight. She knew that this wolf was different, though, and that scared her. Ra's was even more ruthless than she had first thought, selling the kid to the hunters rather than form an alliance with the other families of the valley.

As she came upon the cell at the end of the passageway where the wolf was housed, she had to cover her nose with her hand. The werewolf noticed and started laughing maniacally, emerging from the shadows of his cell.

"Can't stand the smell of me, Babe? You know, you don't smell like lilacs and daisies either," he quipped. Suddenly, his eyes focused in on the steak in her hands. "Is that a T-bone steak you've got there, Babe?"

She rolled her eyes and dropped the tray on the floor, kicking it through the slot in the bottom of the cell. He fell upon the steak quickly, devouring it in mere seconds, looking at her expectantly with what would best be described as puppy dog eyes.

"What do you want, dog?" She asked, rolling her eyes at the pathetic look he was giving her.

"Was that seriously the only food you brought? C'mon, Babe, I'm starving here!" he said, patting his stomach. "By the way, the name's not 'dog,' it's Wally!"

"What do you want me to do about it, Wally," she sneered. "I was only given one steak. And I'm not about to go getting myself into a bind because you're a bit peckish. By the way, the name's not 'babe,' it'sArtemis."

"Beautiful name for a beautiful girl," he said, winking at her.

"Now where have I heard that before," she said, her tone mocking and singsong. Wally's stomach rumbled audibly.

"Please, Artemis? Can I have some more food? That was my first food in two days," he said, sobering immediately. She looked over the scrawny werewolf questioningly, not putting it beneath Talia to not feed the prisoner if she found the task distasteful. She nodded to Wally, picking up the tray that he had just finished licking clean.

She walked back through the hallway to the door, steeling herself for what was about to transpire. Finding her resolve, she banged open the door to the main hall, marching over to the door by the foot of the stairs.

"Talia," she yelled, hoping that her charade would prove effective. She was not mistaken. Talia soon threw open the door, her face a mask of annoyance and repulsion.

"What do you want, Parasite?" she sneered. Artemis felt like blanching, remembering exactly what happened to Cameron. She knew all too well what Talia was capable of.

"The prisoner is emaciated. You haven't been feeding him. I know you and your father, you don't keep prisoners unless you have some use for them I don't know what you're planning on doing with the dog, but he's not going to be much use to you if he's dying of starvation," Artemis said confidently, noticing the clan starting to emerge from the doors around the main hall.

"How dare you assume what the Great One's methods are!" Talia exclaimed, turning abruptly to face the door creaking behind her. Ready to unleash her ire onto whomever intended to interrupt her, she immediately sobered when it was her father who exited the room behind her. He put up his hand and she begrudgingly let him pass by her to get to Artemis.

She bowed, murmuring "Great One" as he approached her. Ra's raised her up, saying, "You are correct in your reasoning, child. I do have plans for the vermin, although they are not yet finalized. IF your claim is true, that my daughter has been neglecting her duties, go to Ubu and get him to give you more sustenance for the prisoner."

Artemis nodded, bowing again before turning in the direction of Ubu's hovel. She heard Ra's muttering to Talia as she walked away, smirking to herself.

She found her way to Ubu's hovel easily, mostly by following her nose. Walking through the archway, she came upon the remains of the poor cow whose flesh she had delivered to Wally. The massive man was hunched over the carcass, carving the remaining meat off of the bones, tossing the skin into a pile to be dealt with later.

Not one member of the clan knew how Ubu, a human, came to live with a coven of vampires but none of them questioned it. He generally only associated himself with the family Al Ghul, choosing to spend his remaining time with the cows and other animals that populated the fields around the castle.

The hovel stank of fresh meat and animal blood. Artemis tried and failed to keep a straight face as she approached Ubu. The hulking man stood up when she announced her presence, wiping the blood and gristle off his hands onto his primitive clothing.

"What does the mistress desire? Ubu is happy to offer his service to someone as prestigious as the Great One's prodigy," he said, tilting his head in her direction.

Prodigy, she thought, shaking her head at the notion. Ra's had put her in command of some things around the castle, but she surely couldn't be his favorite after his daughter.

"The Great One has sent me to fetch more food for the prisoner," she said. Ubu nodded, taking a machete off of the wall and slicing a hunk of meat in half. He picked up one half and put it on the tray that Artemis held out, trying to keep the stinking flesh away from her body. She nodded to Ubu in thanks and turned, walking back towards the dungeons.

She hauled open the door to the dungeons a second time, quickly making the walk to the farthest cell. Wally was waiting patiently where she had left him. His tail started thumping the ground when he saw the massive chunk of meat on the tray.

"Wow, babe, you really know how to treat a guy right!" he exclaimed, setting upon the meat instantly. He finished the meal quickly, nudging the tray back out to Artemis. "So are you in charge of feeding duties now, as opposed to that terrible soulsucker from before?"

"She is, isn't she," Artemis said, sitting down against the bars. "I guess I am. Why does your family want ours to join this League thing so badly?"

"I dunno. I guess it the old 'strength in numbers' thing. I think that you'dreally like Zatanna, she's a lot like you," Wally remarked, scratching his ear with his foot, his tail thumping and his tongue lolling out in bliss.

"So how does this half-wolf thing work?" Artemis asked. "I thought that your kind just changed during the full moon."

"'My kind?' Damn, Arty," he chuckled. "Actually, you'd be surprised how much that crazy lady with the vampire love stories got right."

"Really?" Artemis said. The entire valley had stories written about them but none seemed quite as bad as the 'sparkly vampire movies.' When the first one was published, Zatanna had shown up at the castle expressing her greatest condolences. "Every now and then we get some crazed girl that finds the castle and wants to be a part of 'the lifestyle.' We usually just drink her dry."

"Well, I mean you've got to eat. And what better to eat than someone that shouldn't be reproducing?" Wally chuckled. Artemis laughed along with him. It was nice, having someone to talk to that wasn't too scared to share their opinions.

"So, the way that the half-wolf thing works is that I can change halfway anytime I want, like so," he said. His fur receded into his skin and the hair on the top of his head changed color, becoming a violent orange from the previous subtle auburn. Freckles appeared under where the fur had been.

She smiled at the ginger mop on top of his head, reaching through the cell bars to ruffle it. He flinched under her touch at first, but smiled and played along as she continued toying with his hair.

"Red hair, it suits you," she remarked.

"You think?" he asked brightly. She nodded, getting up off of her position on the floor, turning to leave.

"You will come back, won't you?"

"Hmm?" she asked.

"It's lonely here. I like you. Please come back," he said mournfully. She nodded and walked back up the hallway to the door that lead to the main hall.

On her way back up the stairs to her own room, she nearly ran over Ra's.

"My apologies, Great One," she apologized. He nodded, stopping for a moment.

"Artemis, after your new duties, you have seemed to retain a certain smell. Would you please?" he asked. She blushed bright red, nodding profusely and reversing her rout to take her to the grotto.

She opened the door to the dungeon corridor and started the long walk down the hall. She heard strange sounds coming from the end of the hall, and started to walk a bit faster. Soon she realized that what she was hearing was Wally groaning. Worried, she walked as fast as she could without tripping and falling face first into the squirrel that she had on her tray.

Rounding the corner, she stopped dead in her tracks. Wally's back was pressed up against the cell wall, his pants laying in the corner with his letterman jacket. His teeth were pressed into his lower lip as his hand moved up and down along his impressive shaft, quickly gaining speed. He tilted his head back against the wall, releasing his lower lip, moaning hername.

Artemis fought back a gasp as a distinct 'hnnnng' escaped his lips, he nearing his peak. She watched, enthralled as his hand moved faster and faster, his hips bucking involuntarily. His breath hitched and his cock began to spasm in his hand, ejaculate coming from the tip in short bursts as he finished himself off.

The young werewolf's ragged breaths were the only sounds echoing around the chamber as he slumped his head back against the grimy stone, panting.

"Oh, babe, if only," he rasped out hoarsely, a slight chuckle in his voice. Artemis's cheeks flushed.

She kept her eyes on him, not even having had the decency to look away as he cleaned himself up and tugged his clothes back on. Her sharp gray irises took careful note of the freckles that dotted the landscape of his back like constellations in human form. The sound of his zipper being tugged into place, accompanied by the loud, demanding gurgle from his hungry stomach snapped Artemis out of her frozen state.

"Brought your food," she hastily announced, jarring him out of his reverie. He jumped up, his face coloring deep red, accentuating his adorable freckles. She blushed in response to his, setting down the tray and turning her back quickly, her hand going to scratch at the back of her head.

"How much did, uh, didja…" he began, trailing off. She tensed her shoulders involuntarily at the sound of his voice, heat pooling in her stomach. She shouldn't feel like this about a wolf, she couldn't feel like this. She be staked or left in the sun or something for even contemplating a relationship with a werewolf.

"Uh, um, yeah," she said awkwardly, tensing even further at the groan that escaped Wally's lips. The sound was so distinctly different than the sounds he had been making not five minutes previously, despite them being entirely similar. She couldn't help but picture him below her, groaning and whimpering because of her. Her imagination ran wild, creating a full blown sex scene in her mind. She had to get out of there before something popped.

"I'm just gonna," she said, hooking a thumb at the door. Wally let out a strangled "mmhmm" and pulled the tray of squirrel into his cage, setting to work. Artemis scurried out of the dungeons, feeling like she had the blood of a holy man thrown on her.

When Artemis reached the grotto, she quickly stripped her clothes off, slipping into the bubbling water. She sighed, flexing her toes in the warm sand at the bottom of the natural hot spring. She had been visiting Wally religiously for two weeks, bringing him a variety of raw meat. The two had grown quite close in their time together, each relishing the other's company. However, neither of them had the stomach to bring up what Artemis had started referring to as "the incident."

She took a sponge off a shelf and started scrubbing herself vigorously, ridding herself of the smell of wolf. As her hands neared her hips, she shivered, remembering just how arousing watching Wally masturbate had been. She slipped a hand between her legs, briefly teasing her clit before getting a better idea. Wading over to where the grotto was most bubbly, she felt around for the source of the bubbles with her hands, finding it quickly. She sank to her knees, positioning herself over the jetstream. The air blossomed up around her, the bubbles that hit her sex causing her to thrust and her hands to ghost over her stomach and hips.

Imagining Wally's hands where her own were located, she let her eyes flutter closed and her digits roam freely, a hand darting up to knead her breast while the other helped the jetstream along. She threw her head back as she neared her peak quickly, the water unrelenting. All that she could imagine was Wally. Wally's hands, Wally's mouth, Wally's cock; in, around, and on her. She didn't care how they got there or why, but just the fact that he wanted to touch her and for her to touch him was enough to almost drive her over the edge.

However tempting finishing the job herself might be, Artemis forced her hands away from herself, twining her fingers in her hair while the hotspring did its work. Her eyes practically rolled back in her head at the ecstasy the bubbling water delivered, warm and unrelenting. She arched her back as she came, moaning Wally's name, still holding tightly to the fantasy that he was the one causing her to see stars rather than a natural occurrence.

Her rapture subsided all too quickly, her hands untangling from her hair and her shoulders slumping. Now, she could not delude herself that any feelings Wally had for her were not mutual. She finished washing herself quickly, terrified of what the consequences for her feelings would be.


	4. What Have I Done?

Artemis was almost bowled over by two almost identical young wolves bursting into the main hall. They mimicked the older werewolf rotting in the basement's prisons in their running patterns, albeit slower than the ginger.

The door to Ra's suite burst open, the heavy wood slamming into the cold stone, resulting in a resounding boom. He stuck his hand out and immediately caught one of the young werewolves. Artemis had seen him before. It was the auburn-haired boy that the coven had discovered on the pathway back to where they had parked their ATVs.

He squirmed in the Great One's grasp, the fur on the back of his neck in a vice. His companion had slowed enough for Artemis to see his features, his strawberry blond hair separating him from his brothers, all of which had red hair.

"Let him go!" the lighter furred wolf cried out, charging at Ra's. Talia stepped out of the door behind her father and duplicated his movement, catching the second werewolf by the scruff of the neck. Ra's took a moment to inspect both of the young werewolves before speaking.

"What do you want, lycans?" he asked. The two boys looked at each other, the darker-haired one nodding to his companion.

"My name is Bart," he started.

"The Great One did not ask your name, Puppy!" Talia sneered, baring her fangs at the young wolf. He recoiled visibly, his form shifting back to fully human, revealing how young he actually was. The boy couldn't have been more than thirteen, and his companion was younger still. He quickly shifted back to wolf form, grinning back at Talia.

"As I was saying, we've come to retrieve our brother. You're holding him ransom and we want him back," he stated matter of factly, his brother nodding along with him.

"Well, boys, I don't plan on releasing your brother any time soon, so you may as well wait with him," Ra's said, carrying the younger wolf to the door that lead to the dungeon.

"Oliver!" he shouted. Ollie pushed past Artemis quickly, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze as he jogged by. Ra's, Talia, and Ollie all disappeared into the dungeon, dragging the stunned werewolves with them.

Artemis turned and bolted up the stairs to her room before she started crying. She had been able to push off the constant nagging reminder that Wally would eventually be killed to serve her master's purpose. However, with now three lives hanging in the balance between the vampires and the rest of the Valley, she could ignore the fact no longer.

Three teenagerss were going to die just to satisfy Ra's warped image of pride and self-worth. Although she couldn't do much, she could at least inform Wally of what happened with his brothers. She gathered herself, picking up the tray that sat in the corner and went to ask Ubu for the prisoner's dinner.

While walking down the long hallway leading to Wally's cell, Artemis looked for Bart and his brother to no avail. She surmised that they had been taken back to Ra's suite for questioning. As she neared the end of the passageway, she heard Wally scramble, the bars ringing as his elongated nails struck them. As soon as he came into view, she was hit with a barrage of words, streaming rapidly from the werewolf's mouth.

"Artemis I heard a commotion earlier what happened? Was it more of my kind? Please, Arty, you've got to tell me something," he begged, his body trembling slightly. She set the meat down carefully and pushed it inside his cell before answering him.

"Yes, it's two of your brothers," she said. The terror on his face was distinctly visible as Wally shifted back to his fully human form, slumping against the bars.

"Artemis, please, you have to let me out!" He begged, his knuckles white against the black cast iron of the restraints.

"I don't even know where they are!" she said, the pitch of her voice rising. The prisoner was asking too much, she had to regard her own safety first and foremost. "I can't let you out, even if I knew where they put your kin. One, I don't have the keys, and two, I need to worry about my own head before yours."

Wally shifted back to half-wolf form, snarling at her through the bars, "What if your sisters and brothers were held by my people? Something which we would never do, by the way."

"Oh stop it!" Artemis fired back. "I'm basically chaining myself to the stake just telling you this information!"

"You come off it, your 'Great One' or whatever doesn't even know you talk to me," he sighed, turning his back on her.

"How do you know that?" she snapped, marching up to the bars of the cage, "Damian could be hiding in the ceiling right now for all you know!"

"Is he?" Wally asked, turning to face her, his expression blank.

"Well, no. He'll be where your brothers are. He likes taunting people older than himself," she answered, her eyes darting to the floor.

"Well, if this is my last night alive, I might as well make the best of it," he said. Before Artemis could ask what he meant, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her close, planting a quick kiss to her lips. She responded instantly, throwing herself into the kiss with vigor, forgetting everything around her for just a moment. Suddenly, her brain started screaming at her that _No, this is wrong, he's a wolf, you're a vampire, it'll never work, stop being an idiot!_

She pulled away, looking at Wally. He wiped his mouth on the back of his arm, her lipstick smudged around his mouth. _Oh, to hell with it! _she thought. Her breath coming quickly, she pressed herself up against the bars to meet Wally. His lips brushed against hers softly, their breath mingling between them. Something stirred within Artemis, her arms snaking through the bars to lock around Wally's body, her lips mashing against his. He responded aptly, moving his lips against hers willingly, his hands tangling in her hair.

She gasped as he pulled her hair back, his mouth moving down her jaw and along her neck. A moan escaped her lips as his fangs grazed her collarbone. She continued to elicit small noises as he nibbled around her neck, as far as the bars would let him reach. He brought her hands off his shoulders to tangle in his hair.

She pulled his head back up to her mouth, her own fangs grazing his ear and causing his breath to hitch in his throat. Artemis dragged her fangs down his neck. Her tongue slipped out of her mouth and she licked his pulse point, tasting the blood rushing beneath only a thin layer of skin. He groaned as her fangs pressed into his skin, his jeans becoming painfully tight. His claws grazed her upper arms, causing her to moan in response, continuing to suck on his pulse point, never biting down.

"Of course," she breathed against his neck.

"'Of course' wha-hnnnnnnnng," he groaned.

"You're AB positive," she continued, still breathing heavily against his jugular.

"And that means...?" he asked, the tightness in his crotch driving him wild.

"AB positive is my favorite blood type," she said, her voice low. His ears perked.

"But you aren't going to..." he started. She laughed into his neck, nuzzling into the hair by his ear.

"Of course not. Drinking or even smelling my favorite type gets me so... _wet_," she breathed huskily into his ear.

He gulped, pressing himself into the bars to try and get closer to Artemis. She put her hand on his bare chest, her nails scratching against his flesh uselessly. His hand grasped her chin, bringing their faces back together. She nipped at his bottom lip, directing his hands onto her breasts, moaning into his mouth when they found their mark. She began to undo the zipper on his jeans, but was halted by Wally, who had unbuttoned her top and was rolling her pebbled nipple between his claws.

Suddenly, a door creaked at the opposite end of the hall, causing the two to break apart. Artemis gasped, looking at Wally and then down at herself before snatching the tray from him. She wiped her mussed lipstick off on her arm, quickly pulling her sleeve over the smudge and buttoning her top. Her face assumed a look of disdain just as Talia came into view. The two females glared at each other, Artemis stalking by Talia while the other woman unlocked the cell next to Wally's. She threw the unconscious bodies of Bart and the smaller wolf into the square room, quickly locking the door behind them. Artemis snickered to herself as she heard Wally begin to call out insults to her superior.

After dropping the tray back in her room, she walked to the grotto to wash, hoping that Talia hadn't suspected anything. Her fate was sealed if the Great One knew about her tryst with the prisoner.


End file.
